3-17-16
FORMER ST. LANDRY PARISH CAPTAIN CLAY HIGGINS HAS A NEW JOB. JULIE DARCE TELLS US WHAT IT IS.
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Louisiana State Police say Interstate 10 is closed in both directions at the Texas state line. Sgt. Gary Smith with Troop D in Lake Charles says rising water from the Sabine River is covering the interstate Wednesday morning on the Texas side. Troopers say drivers should use Interstate 20 to travel between the two states or U.S. 190, another alternate route. National Weather Service meteorologist Stephen Carboni in Lake Charles says says it may take several days for the flood waters to recede.
THE CLOSURE OF INTERSTATE TEN AT THE TEXAS BORDER HAS RESULTED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC FOR TWO HIGHWAYS IN CAMERON PARISH. L-A 27 AND L-A 82 ARE NORMALLY QUIET RURAL HIGHWAYS, BUT, BECAUSE OF THE CLOSURE, THEY HAVE BECOME BUSY THOROUGHFARES. THE OWNER OF BAYAKS COUNTRY STORE, ONE OF TWO GAS STATIONS BETWEEN HOLLY BEACH AND THE TEXAS STATE LINE, TOLD KPLC TV THAT BUSINESS DOUBLED ON TUESDAY AND THEY WERE EVEN BUSIER YESTERDAY. LOUISIANA STATE POLICE ADVISE MOTORISTS TAKING THOSE TWO HIGHWAYS TO EXPECT EXCEPTIONALLY LONG DELAYS.
A SNAPCHAT PHOTO BY A TEENAGER AT ST. MARTINVILLE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL LED TO AN ARREST. THE PHOTO SHOWS A MALE, WHO DOES NOT ATTEND THE SCHOOL, POSING WITH A GUN SHOWING OUT OF HIS WAISTBAND. INVESTIGATORS WITH THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE DETERMINED THAT THE PERSON ENTERED THE SCHOOL AFTER HOURS, SNAPPED THE PICTURE AND THEN POSTED IT TO SOCIAL MEDIA. 19-YEAR-OLD JASON SYON OF ST. MARTINVILLE WAS BOOKED INTO THE ST. MARTIN PARISH CORRECTIONAL CENTER ON CHARGES OF CARRYING A FIREARM ON SCHOOL PROPERTY AND CRIMINAL TRESPASS.
A final tally of the tax hikes passed by lawmakers shows a gap of nearly $70 million remains to be closed in the next three months. Gov. John Bel Edwards and lawmakers had thought the shortfall for the budget year that ends June 30 was about $20 million smaller. But last-minute changes made to tax bills by lawmakers lessened their impact for this year. Edwards’ chief financial adviser Jay Dardenne said the administration will start levying cuts soon to rebalance the budget.
Gov. John Bel Edwards intends to rework Louisiana’s construction budget. The governor says he will steer more dollars to roadwork and repairs of existing state buildings. He says his administration is going to drop some of the smaller, local projects favored by state lawmakers for their districts. But Edwards says the construction budget, known as the capital outlay bill, is overstuffed with hundreds of millions in projects Louisiana can’t afford.
THE LAFAYETTE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT APPROVED CLASS SIZES FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. THE CLASS SIZES WILL REMAIN SIMILAR TO THE SIZES THEY HAVE BEEN FOR THIS YEAR. THE BOARD ALSO LEARNED LAST NIGHT THAT THEY WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A PROJECTED 13 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT FOR THE 2016-17 SCHOOL YEAR. BECAUSE OF A 3-POINT-9 MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN STATE MINIMUM FOUNDATION PROGRAM FUNDING, THE PROJECTED DEFICIT IS SMALLER THAN ORIGINALLY PREDICTED.
LAST NIGHT THE ST. LANDRY PARISH COUNCIL ADOPTED A FIVE MILLION DOLLAR GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEAR THAT BEGAN IN JANUARY. LAST WEEK, THE MAN WHO PERFORMS THE ANNUAL AUDIT FOR THE COUNCIL, STEVE MOOSA, TOLD THEM THEY WERE IN VIOLATION OF THE HOME RULE CHARTER, WHICH REQUIRES THE BUDGET TO BE ADOPTED IN A TIMELY FASHION. HE ALSO SAID THAT TARDINESS IN ADOPTING THE BUDGET HAS BECOME A REGULAR PROBLEM FOR THE COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL HELD A BUDGET HEARING BEFORE VOTING ON IT, AND THEY RECEIVED NO COMMENTS FROM THE COUNCIL OR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
